2024 NBA Media Day: Dikembe Mutombo passing headlines emotional day around league

The 2024 edition of NBA Media Day gave us a great deal of excitement while also supplying incredible loss.

The day began with news that NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo had passed away at the age of 58. The entire league and its coaches and players took time to mourn and pay tribute.

The remainder of the day was its usual schedule of players, coaches, and executives doling out pleasantries and sports platitudes, giving us their best first outlook on the season to come. And, of course, Jimmy Butler will make a cameo, stealing the spotlight with whatever he decides to do showing up for another season.

This year, 28 NBA teams held their media days over the course of Monday. The Celtics and Nuggets already kicked off the festivities with their own media days last week in preparation for the NBA Abu Dhabi games on Oct. 5. This marks the 2024-2025 debut for the rest of the association.

Here are the best news nuggets and highlights from the 2024 NBA media day.

Kawhi is hoping for opening night return

Kawhi Leonard is still coming along after an offseason knee procedure. In speaking with reporters on Monday, he said that he is hoping to not miss any games to start the season but is cautious.

“That’s the plan,” Leonard said. “I never plan to miss games. … It all depends on how my body is feeling, but I think it’s a positive thing to think I will play, but we are taking it day-by-day.”

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton on Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark

The Indiana Pacers are hardly the only game in town. And Tyrese Haliburton is far from the only star. He was asked on Monday about the tight bond he shares with Fever phenom Caitlin Clark. After discussing his passion for the WNBA, he delved into his growing friendship.

“I’ve grown to be pretty close with Caitlin and (Connor),” Haliburton said, via Sports Illustrated. “Me, her, him and my girlfriend Jade all have a group chat that we talk in pretty often about everything. So it’s been cool to just grow my friendship with her. Everybody just wants to get more from her, take more from her, get more answers to things, and I don’t want to be that. We’re friends… If she wants to talk basketball, we’ll talk basketball, and if not, I’m totally fine with that as well. But I think we’ve built a pretty cool friendship, and it’s been really cool to see her grow this last year.”

Bronny will drive solo

No need to fight over the Spotify as Bronny would prefer not to ride shotgun on his way into work.

Clippers' Kawhi Leonard on life after Paul George

The Clippers are the new-look Clippers just by transom of losing star Paul George this offseason. Leonard was asked about his former teammate, who now suits up for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bronny James jokes around with dad LeBron on Media Day

Media Day is a laidback affair. And that was especially true for the Lakers and the father-son duo when talking about a recent scrimmage.

Bronny contends that LeBron was out after scoring on his son. The exchange has led to early jokes.

Bronny kept it going when talking about last week's practice.

LeBron prepared to do it all

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. -- LeBron James is not a man consumed with his own limitations.

He conveyed as much at the Lakers Media Day when he was asked about first-year Lakers coach J.J. Redick wanting James to take more 3-pointers and play more off the ball than he has in the past.

“I can literally do whatever on the basketball floor, so it's not hard to plug me into whatever that game, whatever that moment needs to entail,’’ James said. “So it's me playing off the ball and JJ wanting me to shoot more threes or if it's me playing on the ball and getting guys the ball, I can literally do everything on the basketball floor.’’

-Josh Peter

Lakers debut starting lineup:

The Los Angeles Lakers will bring back largely the same contingent as last year, making this a season predicated on the health of the squad. Monday was an opportunity to show off the starters.

Jimmy Butler's Miami Heat media day look was ... normal

The Miami Heat star has made a habit out of showing up for NBA media day with an outlandish outfit or look in recent years, memorialized in league and team photos that are then used on broadcasts throughout the season. Alas, Butler appears to have taken a more traditional approach this year and showed up looking, well, completely normal. Perhaps it's because of the not-so-subtle jabs he took from Pat Riley after last season.

MORE: Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler shocks with traditional look on NBA Media Day

Zach LaVine addresses 'rumors' about his Bulls' future

Rumors about Zach LaVine's long term future with the Chicago Bulls have been circulating for awhile now, with reports this offseason suggesting the Bulls want to trade LaVine but can't find another team willing to take on the commitment of his max contract. LaVine appeared in just 25 games for the Bulls last season, which was also the first time since 2016-17 that he averaged fewer than 20 points.

But LaVine tried to head off the storylines at the pass this time, using his opening statement during a session with reporters at Bulls media day to try and clear the air about the relationship between him and the organization.

"There was a lot of thoughts and rumors, opinions about me, about the organization ... I think we’ve talked one time and this is my first time talking to you," LaVine said about the Bulls front office, "so everything else you can take with a grain of salt, with false narratives or whatever it may be. I think going forward the best way to handle a lot of this stuff is I’m in a great situation, a great headspace. I’m fully healthy right now, which I don’t take for granted. Anything negative that’ll try to pin me and the organization, the rumors, drama, whatever it is, I leave that in the past."

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves react to KAT trade

The Karl-Anthony Towns trade to the New York Knicks caught a lot of people by surprise, none more so than his former teammates with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their first public reactions are coming out now thanks to NBA media day. Here's a sampling of what was said thus far:

Kawhi Leonard injury update

A cautious Kawhi Leonard focused on being healthy enough to finish a playoff series showed up to Los Angeles Clippers media day.

Leonard's health is again a concern going into another season after he couldn't complete the Clippers' postseason loss to the Dallas Mavericks, abruptly left Team USA training camp this summer because of wariness about a knee injury and a report last week that he subsequently underwent a medical procedure on his knee this offseason.

The Clippers' star conceded the inflammation in his knee that surfaced last season could be an issue the rest of his career, but emphasized that he and the team's training staff have a better handle on how to deal with it moving forward.

Chicago Bulls give Lonzo Ball injury update

Lonzo Ball's once-promising NBA career came to a screeching halt because of persistent knee problems with the Chicago Bulls. He has only appeared in 35 games since signing a 4-year, $85-million contract with Chicago in 2021 and did not play at all the past two seasons. But that could soon be changing. Ball's return could come as soon as this year's season opener.

"That's the plan," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas said when asked if Ball could be available for the team's season opener this year.

Ja Morant ready for 'scary' NBA comeback

Ja Morant wanted it known Monday that he's not out to prove his doubters wrong after the past two seasons veered so off course for him. But the Memphis Grizzlies are aiming to be a playoff team again this year, so he did offer a preview of how the recent turmoil and health issues that limited him to nine games last season could impact the rest of the league.

"I feel like a happy Ja is a scary Ja for a lot of people," Morant said.

Luka Doncic, Jason Kidd welcome Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson is among the most intriguing offseason additions this year, if only because it will be weird initially to see him wearing a Dallas Mavericks uniform instead of one belonging to the Golden State Warriors. But Mavericks star Luka Doncic and coach Jason Kidd see Thompson as potentially the piece Dallas was missing during its run to the NBA Finals last year.

“We haven’t had a Jason Terry or a Klay Thompson here for a long time," Kidd said, alluding to his former teammate in Dallas when the Mavericks won an NBA championship in 2011. "You’re talking about rare air here when it comes to shooting,”

"I can't wait to play with him," Doncic said.

Houston Rockets are thinking NBA playoffs

The Houston Rockets made some big offseason moves a year ago to shore up their roster and bring in coach Ime Udoka only to fall short of the play-in tournament in the deep Western Conference. Well, they've got designs on making the postseason this time around even though the west looks even deeper this year. And they're vocalizing them on media day.

Knicks open up about Karl-Anthony Towns trade

Josh Hart had a memorable reaction to the news.

Karl-Anthony Towns picture makes the rounds for Knicks fans

The ink on the Karl-Anthony Towns trade that would send the star from the Minnesota Timberwloves to the Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo has not yet hit paper. But the big man was spotted on Monday morning in the area, according to Athletic hockey writer Peter Baugh.

Here is a snap of the Knicks newest addition.

The rumored trade is not yet official, which should make things interesting on Monday.

Joel Embiid weight update

NBA reacts to Dikembe Mutombo's death

This NBA Media Day will be tinged with sadness after the NBA announced Monday morning that Hall of Fame center and beloved humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo died from brain cancer. He was 58 years old.

Philadelphia 76ers happy to have Paul George in the fold

Tyrese Maxey and Paul George were smiling and Joel Embiid wouldn't. Not until Maxey playfully knocked the ball from his hands during a photoshoot Monday and they all laughed together in a clip released by the team's social media account. The vibes are understandably better with the Philadelphia 76ers than a year ago when they returned for training camp in the midst of the franchise's James Harden stand-off.

Philadelphia has a new big three now after signing George this offseason and General Manager Daryl Morey and coach Nick Nurse are relieved the storyline is about fitting George into the mix with Maxey and Embiid instead of off-court drama.

"What I like this year," Morey said, "is the challenges are more traditional."

"I think we've got a better team than we had with all that going on," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.

Victor Wembanyama weight update

What does year two in the NBA with Victor Wembanyama look like? It's a question that will determine if the San Antonio Spurs are a playoff contender in the Western Conference this season.

Coming off a strong end to his Rookie of the Year campaign, and then a run to the gold medal game with France at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Wembanyama seems poised for a lot. He's also likely packed on some muscle to his skinny 7-foot-3 frame. Seems like a welcome development for the Spurs.

NBA Media Day 2024 begins with Quin Snyder, Atlanta Hawks

It appears Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder will go down as the first of probably hundreds of NBA coaches and players to speak with reporters on Monday. And right off the bat, some interesting thoughts on Dejounte Murray and a roster that features now features both Trae Young and No. 1 pick Zaccharie Rissacher.

How to watch NBA Media Day: Time, TV and streaming

While some teams get the party started early in the day, live coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on NBA TV, followed by coverage on NBA.com. Below times ET.

• NBA TV Media Day Presented by AT&T | 1-5 p.m. | NBA TV

• NBA Media Day Live | 4-7 p.m. | NBA.com, NBA App

What is NBA Media Day?

NBA Media Day is fans' first look at their beloved squads as organizations hold an open session for media access to players and personnel.

Aside from interviews, it's also a moment when players take their season photos, which has led to a tradition of the more memorable images making their way to social media. Jimmy Butler has been one player who has owned this tradition with his own flare for the opportunity.

When does the NBA season start?

NBA action starts on Oct. 22 with the Knicks taking on the Celtics in Boston and the Lakers hosting the Timberwolves. The rest of the association gets in on the fun on Oct. 23.

NBA media day schedule:

All times ET.

• Milwaukee Bucks | Fiserv Forum - 9:30 a.m.

• San Antonio Spurs | Spurs Practice Facility - 10:00 a.m.

• Miami Heat | Kaseya Center - 10:00 a.m.

• New Orleans Pelicans | Smoothie King Center - 10:00 a.m.

• Brooklyn Nets | HSS Training Center - 10:30 a.m.

• Toronto Raptors | Scotiabank Arena - 10:30 a.m.

• Indiana Pacers | Gainbridge Fieldhouse - 10:45 a.m.

• Philadelphia 76ers | 76ers Training Complex - 11 a.m.

• Cleveland Cavaliers | Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse - 11 a.m.

• Atlanta Hawks | PC&E Atlanta - 11 a.m.

• New York Knicks | Knicks Practice Facility - 11 a.m.

• Orlando Magic | AdventHealth Training Center - 11 a.m.

• Charlotte Hornets | Spectrum Center - 11 a.m.

• Utah Jazz | Zion’s Bank Basketball Campus - 11 a.m.

• Washington Wizards | TBD

• Memphis Grizzlies | FedEx Forum - 12 p.m.

• Dallas Mavericks | Mavericks Practice Facility - 12 p.m.

• Houston Rockets | Toyota Center - 12 p.m.

• Oklahoma City Thunder | Paycom Center - 12 p.m.

• Golden State Warriors | Chase Center - 12 p.m.

• Portland Trail Blazers | Moda Center - 12 p.m.

• Detroit Pistons | Little Caesar’s Arena - 12:30 p.m.

• Los Angeles Clippers | Intuit Dome - 1:00 p.m.

• Minnesota Timberwolves | Target Center - 1:30 p.m.

• Chicago Bulls | Advocate Center - 1:30 p.m.

• Los Angeles Lakers | UCLA Health Training Center - 2:00 p.m.

• Phoenix Suns | Footprint Center - 2:00 p.m.

• Sacramento Kings | Golden 1 Center - 3:00 p.m.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Media Day: Jimmy Butler, LeBron's Lakers and more highlights